Momma Llama's ABC Book of Latin America

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Momma Llama's ABC Book of Latin America is both fun and educational. This multicultural adventure includes people, places, and things from Central and South America - from Mexico to Argentina. The charming illustrations will make you and your child smile. Additionally, each page names the country or region of the subject; parents might learn something too.

About the Author:

Momma Llama envisions a world in which Mom becomes the star and the hero of each fun-filled adventure, giving a new perspective to the way children learn and play.

Each story showcases Momma Llama, a hard-working independent, and adventurous mother, promoting ideas such as teamwork, determination, respect, and the idea that Moms give more than we realize.

Momma Llama aspires to unify the diverse cultures of the Americas by promoting multiculturalism in a fresh new way.

There’s always something new in Momma Llama’s magical world, so join us for more adventures.

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Sopia Freeman Series by TX Troan

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EARTH AWAKENED ... SEED PLANTED ... PATH REVEALED.

What begins as a special trip for eleven-year-old Sophia Freeman and her father, leaves her trapped on a mysterious island with a tree boy and fantastical creatures. Later, she learns she is dying from an eternal curse and the only way to prolong her life is to drink the island’s sacred water. Can Sophia and her companions reach the fountain and defeat the guardian before time runs out?

THEY MUST RISK IT ALL TO REGAIN THEIR FREEDOM ... OR BE SEALED AWAY FOREVER.

Sophia Freeman and her best friend, Tim Charnal, must beat all contestants in a three-round Beyond Event organized by the mighty arbiters to free him from the penalty of murder and gain the islanders' trust. Entering the hologram and surviving environments filled with everything from hammer-throwing cave giants to a slimy tentacled sea monster, they will need all their courage, wits, and skills. But how are they going to win when magic is forbidden?

EVIL RISING ... ISLANDERS MISSING ... AND FRIENDS BETRAYING.

With the increase in deaths of Pandilone Islanders, the arbiters devise a strategy to free the god demon within five days to lift the Eternal Curse. All goes as planned until iron-masked creatures kidnap magic users, weakening the army. To gain reinforcements, Sophia Freeman, Tim Charnal, and rescued Allen Chan must gather all six items to cast the Dream Spell, connecting them with Sophia’s father and his air force. But how can the trio succeed in time while surrounded by enemies and traitors aiming to stop them at any cost?

Read an Excerpt from SOPHIA FREEMAN AND THE GATE OF JADE (book 2 ):

“So, Wondnair, what happened back there?” Tim asked, picking at his food. “Why did the arbiters put our victory on hold?”

Sophia hung her head in silent shame.

“Sophia’s body was taken over by, uh … someone,” said Wondnair.

“You mean … T-Tombermon? Why would he help us win?” Tim shook his head. “No, it can’t be true—”

“Look, no monster of that size would simply drop and let you two pass,” Wondnair continued. “Sophia was like its master back there.”

Holding her bowl tightly, Sophia watched her teardrop fall into her earthy soup.

“So, she broke the rules?” Tim couldn’t eat any more. “It’s over—we’re disqualified.”

Wondnair said, “We don’t know that ye—”

“I am so sorry, Tim,” cried Sophia. “We lost because of m-me.” She wiped her eyes. “You shouldn’t have come with me to fight that fountain guardian. Then this n-never would have h-happened.”

“Sophia.” He slid closer to her on the bench.

“I’m n-not the Ch-Chosen One!” She slammed her fist on the table.

Tim gently placed her head against his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her. “Sophia, listen to me. The fight isn’t over.”

About the Author:

Thuan Doan was born in Indonesia, and grew up in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

Thuan has been fascinated by art from a young age, especially fantasy. He would wake up hours before school, sit outside the classroom, and scribble in his sketch book.

After college, he worked on a series of jobs, including: an advergaming association as a storyboard/concept artist, gaming company as lead concept artist, and graphic designer for various clients.

Thuan conceived his first middle-grade fantasy novel, Sophia Freeman and the Mysterious Fountain, during a trip to Gabriola Island, British Columbia in the summer of 2013. Then he took his work and settled in a small town of Enderby, where it’s peaceful and quiet. 4 years later, the story is complete. While book 1, 2 and 3 are being shared with the world, he's writing and illustrating book 4 of the Sophia Freeman series.

Thuan is writing under a pen name of T.X. Troan. “X” stands for Xu, his grandmother’s name who passed away. And “Troan” is a combination of his parents' names.

“No matter how this turns out, I want my family to be a part of this wonderful journey.”

T.X. Troan married Sarah, his original fan and longtime love, in 2016. They live in Enderby with their pack dogs and school of fish!

AWARDS

★ Entrada Publishing Incipere Award, 2020
★ Readers' Favorite 5 star Badge, 2019, 2021 and 2022
★ Literary Titan Badge, 2020

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Juche Box Set by Adria Carmichael

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What would we find under your bed?
Mostly dust bunnies unfortunately.

What was the scariest moment of your life?
When I was stabbed with a needle at a Russian subway station. Apparently, pricking your arm is a common method robbers use to get you to drop the bag you’re holding, but it didn’t work because my winter coat was too thick so it didn’t go all the way into the muscle tissue. Still, I was terrified for several weeks that I had been infected with something. Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to walk away with nothing but a tiny red dot on my forearm.

Do you listen to music while writing? If so what?
I usually write in silence, but once in a while, I get the urge to put on some rock classics from the 70-80ies.

What is something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career next year?
Publish the next two books in the Juche series.

How long did it take you to write this book?
I originally wrote books 1-4 as one book and then split it into four to make the editing more manageable. So I can’t say for sure about the last book, but I have spent nights and weekends for the past 4-5 years on writing the Juche story.

Just when Areum - daughter of a privileged family in the totalitarian state of Choson (North Korea) - thought she was free from her personal prison, her world collapses around her as her family is taken away in the middle of the night to a hell-like camp in the mountains where people who have strayed from the righteous path are brutally re-educated through blood, sweat, tears, and starvation.

There she has to fight for survival together with the family she hates and is forced to re-evaluate every aspect of her life until then: her deep resentment toward her twin sister; her view of her father in the face of mounting evidence that he is a traitor with the blood of millions of fellow countrymen on his hands; and even her love and affection for the Great General - the eternal savior and protector of Choson, whom she had always considered her true father.

Note from the author:

Have you ever wondered what the world looks like when seen through an indoctrinated mind?

This is a topic that has intrigued me for as long as I can remember, so when I came up with the idea to write a book many years ago, I decided to create it from the viewpoint of a victim of indoctrination… which in the end became Areum (the protagonist of the story).

What I try to explore in this story is how deep the indoctrination of a 14-year old girl can run and how much “reality” it can be exposed to before breaking… if it will break at all. As a comparison, the defectors from North Korea who arrive in South Korea are isolated for three months in a de-programming facility called Hanawon before they are allowed to join society where they go through this process in a more controlled (and less brutal) way than Areum.

I hope you will enjoy this slightly different take on the dystopian genre!

Read an Excerpt

A loud screech in the sky interrupts me. I look up. A large black crow is circling high above us. Then another crow joins in. The screeching intensifies. Another one joins in, and then another. Before I know it, the whole sky has turned black with a swirling mass of crows, flying in a tornado-like circle right above us. I feel their beady eyes looking down at me.

The mass of crows now forms a funnel, spiraling downward toward us. I scream and put my hands up in defense. But the crows don’t target me. The black moving mass instead completely consumes the living corpse of my dad.

“NOOO!” I scream as I helplessly witness the crows dismembering him piece by piece right before my eyes. They pull his eyeballs out from their sockets. They tear the skin from his arms and legs. I cry and scream. I want to run to him, to help him… but I still can’t move.

Then it’s all over, and the crows disperse and ascend back into the sky, bringing their ear-piercing screech and the pieces of my father’s body with them. What was left of him is now again lying lifelessly on the ground. His face is still turned to me, but he had no more dead eyes to look at me with.

Another screech makes me look up to the sky again. The crows are circling ominously. Faster and faster. The screeching intensifies, cutting painfully into my ears, as they once more swirl down towards me like a tornado. I put my hands up in defense and scream as the first crow brushes against my hair. Another one grabs my arm with its claws. I try to break free, but my feet are still glued to the ground.

I now have crows all over my body, and as the one on my arm penetrates my skin with its beak, I…

About the Author:

Adria Carmichael is a writer of dystopian fiction with a twist. When she is not devouring dystopian and post-apocalyptic content in any format - books, movies, TV-series and PlayStation games - she is crafting the epic and highly-addictive Juche saga, her 2020 debut novel series that takes place in the brutal, totalitarian nation of Choson. When the limit of doom and gloom is reached, a 10K run on a sunny day or binging a silly sitcom on a rainy day is her go-to way to unwind.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20581191.Adria_Carmichael
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Adria-Carmichael-591550164840779
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adria_carmichael_author/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdriaCarmichael
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/adria-carmichael

Amazon Buy links:

Juche 1 – The Demon of Yodok: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FQLHKYP/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
Juche 2 – The Weeping Masses: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08J42Y4Y5
Juche 3 – The Storm of Storms: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B099BKWKKR
Juche 4 – Freedom or Death: https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Death-Young-Dystopian-Survival-ebook/dp/B09D9NBZ7S/ref=sr_1_1
Juche 1-4 Box Set: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B3F21BKV/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4

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The Fate of a Crush by Marie MacGrath

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Marie McGrath will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Why do you write juvenile fiction? What draws you to it?

Juvenile fiction has always resonated with me. I love the themes and the discovery of that age group. Even after I surpassed the age group myself, I still find myself scrounging the shelves for books in juvenile fiction. There is an innocence in all of the interactions between friends and couples. It’s all so new for each character and that situation that it’s exciting. I think no matter how old I become, I can still relate to discovering parts of myself and going into situations with a perspective of innocence.

What superpower would you love to have? Why?

I would love to have powers to freeze time. Time always seems to slip away when I don’t want it to. Unlimited time would be nice to finish a book I want to write or to finish a book I want to read.

What book is on your nightstand currently?

The Queen Will Betray You by Sarah Henning is currently on my nightstand. It is book 2 in the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky series. It follows a strong female lead trying to rule her kingdom when her father dies unexpectedly. Book 1 was beautifully crafted, so I had to follow her journey to the next one in the series. It is actually a three book series.

Favorite TV show from your childhood?

This is somewhat tied. I love Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Charmed. If it is based on how many times I’ve rewatched the episodes, then Charmed would win. I love the magic in both and always secretly dreamed about how cool it would be to have powers.

Ideal summer vacation.

My ideal summer vacation would be going to a secluded beach. I could sit on the sand and read or soak up the sun’s rays. I could swim and enjoy the warmish ocean water and just tune out the world. As a mom of two small children, peace and quiet are a luxury I do not see often right now. So as long as the vacation let me relax and have some quiet time to read uninterrupted, it would be ideal.

You’re stranded on a desert island—which character from your book do you want with you? Why?

I think I would want Mia, the main character’s best friend. She’s spunky and a go-getter. She may not know all the survival skills in the world and she is shorter, but she would help us survive. She’s persistent and that would be valuable if we were stranded.

You’ve just won a million dollars and you’re not allowed to save any of it. What do you spend it on?

Books? Obviously books and maybe a new house to put the books in with brand new shelves. A million dollars’ worth of books would require a lot of space because I like to read paperbacks. So some of the money would definitely need to be spent to put it somewhere and properly display them.

Favorite class in high school. Why?

I loved Child Psychology in my senior year in high school. I enjoyed learning how humans develop and the stages children go through. I knew I wanted to teach and so it was directly applicable to my life, including that I always wanted to be a mother as well. The ideas in that class are something I still come back to frequently.

Falling in love with a senior was risky … especially when he was your best friend’s brother.

Allie Duncan started sophomore year with two aspirations, make her school’s volleyball team and keep her crush on Hunter Baylor, her best friend’s brother, a secret. If Mia found out, she would feel betrayed. The crush was useless anyway. Hunter was a star basketball player and she was a nobody. Or so she thought until his attention was piqued after Allie went on the Baylors’ summer vacation. When Hunter goes to homecoming with Allie’s sophomore rival, she’s devastated and her confidence is destroyed, especially after his date tells her the Baylors pity her. Hunter tries to make it up to Allie, which leads to a kiss, leaving Allie confused.

Can she push this crush out of her heart to save her friendship? Or is Hunter worth the risk?

Read an Excerpt

“You have no idea how much I think about you, Allie Duncan.” He said my name almost as a whisper against my skin.

My body tensed and sent tingles to every spot he touched.

“I-I …” I squeezed my eyes shut and forced myself to say it. “I couldn’t think either. Being that close to you practically drowned all my brain cells and short circuited the wiring. If you had asked me my name, I doubt I would have been able to tell you.”

“Good,” he said as he straightened and outstretched his hand.

“What do you mean good?”

“It’s no fun if I’m the only one on the edge.”

I giggled. “You’re terrible.”

“Maybe, but at least I’m honest.”

About the Author:Marie McGrath lives in a small rural town in Maryland. She hopes to inspire others with her stories. Her favorite genres to read are YA Romance and Contemporary Fiction. She loves the color turquoise, tigers, and listening to music.

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Locksmith's War by Paul Briggs

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

If you could have one paranormal ability, what would it be?

The ability to find any lost object. If that wasn’t available, telekinesis, just because it has so many possible uses.

What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to learn about you?

I’ve never actually flown an ultralight.

When writing descriptions of your hero/ine, what feature do you start with?

Size/height, just because it’s the first thing somebody is likely to notice, unless something else is even more conspicuous. I don’t describe the color of the eyes until the point where somebody would get close enough to notice.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a plotter, up to a point. Very often I’ll come up with a general outline, then realize about halfway through that about a dozen different things have to change.

Did you learn anything from writing this book? If so, what?

Don’t get hung up on writing the perfect fight scene or the perfect climax. Let the story come to whatever conclusion makes the most sense and is emotionally satisfying.

For Lachlan Smith, learning the secret of the apocalypse was the easy part.

Ever since Locksmith found the portal to the future, he has been wondering who or what was responsible for the empty, uninhabited world he found.

Now he knows—and now he has to fight them.

He thought he had fifteen years in which to prevent the extinction of the human species.

Now, he has only hours.

When the portal is stolen by a cabal of dangerous fanatics, his mother and many of his friends are trapped on the other side. Now the enemy is after him, and the only way to thwart their genocidal plan is to retake the portal and hold it—at both ends.

With very little time left, a handful of allies who don't trust each other, almost no chance of success and the survival of humanity itself at stake… Locksmith is going to war.

Read an Excerpt

Rikki’s first plan of escape

Rikki’s first plan of escape was simple — wait for somebody to open the door, then pounce on them, beat them up and start running. She couldn’t act on this plan until the drug wore off.

She was still feeling jittery from the drug when the lights went out, leaving her in something very close to pitch darkness. The tags on her ears glowed in the dark. The lights stayed off for a fair stretch of time — it might have been an hour. Before long, even with the drug out of her system her pupils had dilated to the point where the light that leaked in under the doorway looked like a line of yellow-white fire, dimly illuminating the room.

Then she heard the footsteps out the in the hall. Someone was headed this way. Rikki pointed herself at the doorway and got herself into a sprinter’s crouch like she’d seen Lock do.

The footsteps stopped in front of the door to her cell. She could see the shadows of somebody’s feet. Just one person. Good. Heavier than average, from the sound of the footsteps, but still better than trying to tackle two or more people at once. Her leg muscles were ready to launch her at the enemy. She got her fists into position. A few good blows to the solar plexus and kidneys…

About the Author:

In addition to writing books, Paul Briggs has worked as a newspaper editor, court reporter's assistant, and audio transcriber. In his spare time (when he has any) he sometimes performs in community theater, most recently taking on the roles of Bottom, Petruchio, Macbeth, Rosalind, and Richard III in a Shakespeare compilation. An Eastern Shore native who grew up in Chestertown, Maryland, Paul earned a BA in English from Washington College and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland – College Park.

He is the author of several short plays, including the award-winning The Worst Super Power Ever and The Picture of Health. He is also writing the sequel to his 2018 science fiction novel Altered Seasons: Monsoonrise, which vividly imagines the dislocations that follow when the Arctic Sea ice finally melts and the Chesapeake Bay is drowned by the effects of climate change.

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The Virus of Beauty Series by C.B. Lyall

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Virus of Beauty – Book 1

Ugliness is power, and the Virus of Beauty is spreading causing panic throughout the witch population.

Wilf Gilvary is a teenage wizard who is terrified of using magic. When his father dies under mysterious circumstances, the same day the Mages Crystal shatters, Wilf is plunged into the middle of a political struggle between the witches and wizards in the Magical Realm. He’d rather play soccer than practice magic, but he’s forced to make a choice between the life of a normal Hong Kong teen and one of wizardry after a powerful virus begins to decimate the witch community. The cure is spellbound in a journal Wilf inherited from his father and when his friend Katryna contracts the virus, Wilf understands that he must overcome his fear of magic to unlock the journal’s secrets – but will it be too late to save her?

The Veil of Corruption – The Virus of Beauty Book 2

Witches and magic are taking over Wilf's life.

After being thrust into a long-standing conflict between the witches and wizards that has destabilized the Magical Realm and finding the antidote for the Virus of Beauty, Wilf would like to return to his normal soccer playing teenage life. But he can’t rest until his stepsister, Myra, is caught and brought to justice. It’s been three days since Myra took to the skies above Hong Kong and disappeared. Now Wilf is accused of corrupting the Veil, a defensive barrier between the witch and wizard cities. As the spell expands throughout the magical realm it is attacking witches and wizards. But Wilf would rather embrace his witch friend, Katryna, than his wizard powers. When evil forces have other plans and they kidnap Katryna, Wilf realizes that he’d do anything to save her and the Magical Realm, even if it means risking his own life by connecting to the primary source of all magic.

The Vassal of Magic – The Virus of Beauty Book 3

Wilf Gilvary is a slave to the magic he hates.

Yet his powers seem a solution for saving the Magical Realm and Katryna, the girl he loves. If only he could figure out how to tap his magic’s full potential.

As factions of witches and wizards vie for control of the Magical Realm, Wilf embarks on a harrowing journey that plunges him into the realm’s ancient secrets. At first, Wilf begins to doubt everything. His affection for Katryna might be the remnants of a broken love spell. And he still struggles to control his magic.

But Wilf risks his life to learn more about his powers and his destiny. It leaves him facing an impossible choice: forever abandon his dreams of life as a Normal in Hong Kong, or allow magic and the Magical Realm to perish from the world.

Read an Excerpt from The Vassal of Magic – The Virus of Beauty Book 3

Wilf glanced over at Ermentrude and Jayden. “Ready?”

Ermentrude tightened her hold on Catcus and gave a brief nod. Wilf took a deep breath and laid his hand on the sphere’s surface. Flashes of energy spiked upward to connect with his fingers. He clenched his teeth and grunted when they made contact.

The wall on his left disappeared, leaving a view down Tai Wang Street. He swallowed the lump in his throat. These could be his last glimpses of the city he loved, but this was no time to be sentimental. He needed to focus on keeping to the right path through the Thermals. After they rescued Katryna, then he could worry about how he would return to Hong Kong. The portal shuddered and lifted off the ground.

Lights wove together, forming a pathway through the sky. The portal rattled and rose higher. Cloud patterns reflected on the surfaces of Mong Kok’s glass and steel skyscrapers, but the outline of both portals remained cloaked. He steered into a thick bank of clouds, and Hong Kong disappeared.

“Shouldn’t the fissure be appearing by now?” Jayden stared at the sky above them.

Ermentrude leaned forward. “You’re right. The gateway should have opened by now.”

Wilf pressed his hand down on the sphere, strengthening the connection. The energy spikes sizzled and expanded. He winced as the portal picked up speed. An explosion of green light burst in the sky and the fissure opened. The portal sped up, and they blasted into the Thermals.

About the Author: Carolyn Lyall was born in Stockton-On-Tees, United Kingdom. As a child Carolyn growing up in Northern England in the sixties Carolyn loved sports, reading and amateur dramatics. She joined a renaissance group, practiced the broadsword and dreamed of visiting other worlds. Her passion for what could be drove her forward when faced with everyday struggles. Her first memorable skirmish with gender inequality came at nine-years old when she was told that only boys were allowed to play soccer. In response, she simply refused to do any classwork until they changed their old-fashioned policies. She won that battle.

At the age of 18, she took a role as typist for a nursing school in Middlesbrough. She then moved to London and enrolled in night school. She was quickly recognized for her ability to fit in anywhere and for not being afraid to push back on the predominantly male leadership. She eventually became a project manager in software development and micro-computers, bridging the gap between computer programmers and management.

Her dream to travel was finally realized in 1990 when she moved to New York City, USA with her husband and the first of three sons. This was the steppingstone to a lifelong adventure that has taken her and her family to India, Belgium, and Hong Kong.

Raising her family in multiple countries around the world, she saw that each move, while a shock, was an opportunity for her sons to redefine themselves against new challenges and different cultural norms. Now, that her sons have left home, Carolyn has used her passion for the fantastic to create a world where every day gender inequalities are at the forefront of a world ending conflict. She shares this story through the eyes of a young man who is suddenly thrust into this new world along with all of his own woes and prejudices. The introduction to this world is in Carolyn’s debut YA fantasy novel, “The Virus of Beauty,” which was released July 31, 2019 under C B Lyall.

Carolyn has published two short stories in an annual anthology by 25 Servings of Soop. She wrote a number of articles for the American Women’s Associates Magazine. Fueled by her love of the works of Terry Pratchett, Sarah J Maas, Cassandra Clare, Brandon Sanderson and others, Carolyn has completed a number of writing courses, which included a Master Fantasy/Science Fiction writers course with Gotham Writers’ Workshop, a YA Voice class and Advance Novel Writing course at Sarah Lawrence College’s Writing Institute.

Website: http://cblyall.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CarolynBLyall
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cblyall
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/carolynlyall

Book 1: https://www.amazon.com/Virus-Beauty-Book-1-ebook/dp/B08NF1L94T/ref=sr_1_1
Book 2: https://www.amazon.com/Veil-Corruption-Virus-Beauty-Book-ebook/dp/B08LW57DXQ/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2QEJZOZM75KKV
Book 3: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09WZJ18R5
Series Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NGNYQL3

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Jester by Brielle D. Porter

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What happens in Oasis, stays in Oasis.

Lisette’s father killed the King. His execution leaves Lisette alone, disgraced, and without the magic he intended to pass on to her. In Oasis, that’s a problem. Glutted with enchanted performers, Oasis is a sin city where courtiers pay in gold to drink, gamble, and above all, be entertained. To survive on its competitive streets, Lisette peddles paltry illusions in place of magic.

Desperate to prove herself, Lisette enters into a deadly competition to be chosen as the highest-ranked magician in the world, the Queen’s Jester. But her rival, the irritatingly handsome Luc, possesses the one thing Lisette does not―real magic. Lisette will do anything to win, but when evidence implicating the Queen in her husband’s murder surfaces, Lisette must choose between redeeming her family name, or seizing the fame she’s hungered for her entire life.

Read an exclusive excerpt

Even though the knife feels like it’s blistering my palm, I take a moment to pan the audience. This is always my favorite part. The tension is a palpable thing, visible in held gasps, wide eyes, and awe.

Magic.

And that’s when I see him. Expression carefully neutral, almost bored, one eyebrow raised, arms folded across a suit that costs more than my father made in a year. A seeker.

My heart pounds, as I realize more than Stefan’s crotch is at stake here now. If I nail this, that pretentious clown in a suit has the power to get my act in front of the queen. I could be the next Jester. It’s the reason I’ve come here tonight, the same reason I’ve performed for thousands of crowds like this one.

Sucking in a breath, I hold the knife level.

Stefan thrashes, but the binding’s pinning him to the wheel like a dead butterfly hold. Right as I pull back to throw, there’s a shout. “Kingkiller!”

The knife slips in my grip, but it’s too late. I watch, horrified, as the blade wobbles in the air, the trajectory off. It clatters to the ground a few feet away from Stefan, flames smothered in the dirt. There’s a moment of shocked silence, as though the crowd is waiting for me to do something.

Make a joke. Throw another knife. Something. I can still save this.

Even Stefan gawps at me as I stare unseeing at the crowd. But I don’t do anything. I just stand there, the word pounding in my head, over and over.

Kingkiller.

Even real magic couldn’t save me now.

About the Author

Brielle D. Porter decided to become a writer after a well-meaning elementary school teacher told her she had a gift for it. Stolen moments under the covers reading anything from Harry Potter to William Goldman solidified the desire to tell stories herself one day. Jester is her debut novel.

Brielle lives with her husband and three sons on a lavender farm in Northern Idaho. When she’s not writing, she can be found running and beekeeping. Only ask her about her hobbies if you have plenty of time to spare.

Author Website: https://brielledporter.com/
Goodreads Author: https://www.goodreads.com/briellums
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtshipofthemonsters/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/briellums

Direct from publisher (CamCat): https://camcatbooks.com/Books/J/Jester
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Ip4smU
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jester-brielle-d-porter/1140546918
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780744305586
BookShop: https://bookshop.org/books/jester-9780744305586/9780744305586

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